Changes to Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route from 31 January 2013 - updated

19 March 2013

This page provides guidance on the changes to the Immigration Rules for the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) category, in particular for applicants who applied before 31 January 2013 and are waiting for a decision on their Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) application.

Over the next 4 weeks, we will be writing to all applicants who applied before 31 January 2013 to you to explain how the changes will affect you and what steps you will need to take to continue your application. We may need additional information from you to process your application.

We may ask you to:

• provide additional information, for example business plans and evidence of market research, to confirm the genuineness of your application; and
• demonstrate that you continue to have access to the funds ahead of them being invested in a UK business. You may have moved money into your business in the meantime. If so, you will need to provide the business accounts or accountant certificate showing that you have invested the funds in the business, together with the updated evidence of any remaining monies to make up your full investment.

You will have 28 days in which to provide the information we request. We may also carry out checks to verify the information provided and you could be invited to attend an interview to discuss your application.

If you are applying on or after 31 January and are relying on funds from a third party, the declarations you provide from those third parties will need to confirm that the funds will continue to be available to you until they are used.

Further information about the evidence you need to supply as part of your application can be found in the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) policy guidance.

If we had not decided your application before 31 January or you apply on or after this date, we will consider it under the new rules.

We will keep this page updated with the latest information.